JUCO team in Kansas welcomes Mettenberger

Former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger has a new team: the Butler Community College Grizzlies,  a perennial power in junior-college football. Butler is located in El Dorado, Kansas.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Mettenberger is on the Butler roster and quotes coach Troy Morrell from Jayhawk Conference Media Day: “We did our research on Zach. We feel like he can be a great asset to our team, and it’s widely known that he paid the price for what he’s done and he’s trying to move on.”

Mettenberger was dismissed from the Georgia program in April, shortly before pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery in Valdosta. He was sentenced to 12 months probation, 80 hours of community service and a $2,000 fine.

Butler is ranked No. 6 among the nation’s junior-college football teams in the preseason poll.  The Grizzlies have won five JUCO national championships since 1998, including titles in 2007 and 2008. Butler starts practice Thursday and plays its season opener Aug. 26 at home against Navarro College.

Mettenberger, from Oconee County, was redshirted at Georgia as a freshman last season.

141 comments Add your comment

On High

August 4th, 2010
12:45 pm

DR, as someone who actually attended UGA, once this broke, the kid had to go….Wish him well…..

Perhaps FSU would have kept him under BB….? I disagree, as have others, about other SEC teams keeping him.

CLEVON LITTLE

August 4th, 2010
12:46 pm

I agree w/ JAX DAWG

TampaGator

August 4th, 2010
12:50 pm

“Mettenberger was dismissed from the Georgia program in April, shortly before pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery in Valdosta. He was sentenced to 12 months probation, 80 hours of community service and a $2,000 fine.”

The key words are….”pleding quilty”…which usually means his lawyers arranged a lower “plea deal” sentence for a first time sexual assualt offender….from what I know about the law. And I am sure the Georgia coaches were given advanced notice of the deal that had been worked out for him so they could make a decision on his future at Georgia.

I think this would be standard legal procedure in such a case…but you black or white….or any other color…..unless this was the 1950s…which it isn’t.

But you can bet the kids name is on every police blog concerning “sexual assault” crimes in the country…and that is a bad deal for the kid. He has a lot of work to do to restore his name. I wish him much success in school, in therapy (I hope he is getting a bunch of it), and in football if that works out for him.

It is what it is........

August 4th, 2010
12:52 pm

Rick,

You took the words right out of my mouth! I was reading all these comments and was like wow; if he were black…….then i read your comment!!!! 99% of you people would have posted exactly what Rick said!!!! And for the record, i do wish him well and hope he will get a second chance to right his wrong. White or Black!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tide Roll

August 4th, 2010
12:54 pm

Kiante, Bean, and Josh Davis need to get the hell out of there, go Div. I AA and get drafted. Probably too late for Kiante. Richt must get some perverse satisfaction out of messing with the kid. I thank God I’m an Alabama fan. Roll Tide

Tuna

August 4th, 2010
12:57 pm

Ah geez. The “knee-jerk” race card people are at it again. Almost as lame as still blaming Bush for anything that happens 18 months after he left the White House.

Damon Evans

August 4th, 2010
1:00 pm

Joe, I haven’t accepted the position yet.

But again, libratards tell us what Zach did that is not in the police report. You spout off at the mouth with lies and nothing to back up what you say.

Mike S

August 4th, 2010
1:00 pm

Good luck to Zach. I hope he has learned from this experience and turns his life around.

Life is about second chances, and I sincerely pray he makes the best of this one.

Frank Lane

August 4th, 2010
1:01 pm

I am delighted for Zach. I don’t believe that he should have been dismissed, just disciplined in a way that stuck with him.

Not Disappointed

August 4th, 2010
1:02 pm

Good Luck Zach!

Ramblin Wreck!

Gator Ade2

August 4th, 2010
1:02 pm

Mettenberger could come back to UGA next year, be back-up quarterback, and serve as liaison with the Athens bail bondsmen who get the arrested athlete-thugs out of jail. That would take a huge burden off Mark Richt.

I’ll bet that Richt is already on the phone apologizing to Zach and his mommy, and begging him to give UGA a second chance.

Because neither Murray or Mason is an SEC quarterback, which will be painfully obvious when the season starts.

Let’s hear it for those red panties, all you dawgtards!

T'VILLE DAWG

August 4th, 2010
1:08 pm

You black folks can’t breathe without throwing out racisa accusations, no ducking my head for this white boy.People if you spend your life looking behind how can you move forward?

Dawgtard City

August 4th, 2010
1:09 pm

BREAKING NEWS: The AP is reporting that the new athletic director at Butler Community College is… Damon Evans, who quipped he was looking forward to leaving the red panties behind in Georgia.

Red panties are falling from the sky!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

dawggirl

August 4th, 2010
1:10 pm

As a female, I’m glad he was made to pay for what he did. If I had been the girl, let’s just say he would have lost his ability to father children. Women are not objects. We put up with enough *$%^ from men, it’s time stronger laws were enacted.

Even if Murray were to lose every single game this year (which he won’t), I’m still glad Mett is gone and moved on.

ugag is irrelevant

August 4th, 2010
1:14 pm

at least the kid’ll get a decent education now

HugoStiglitz

August 4th, 2010
1:17 pm

Some people in here are actually arguing that sexually assaulting a woman is not a big deal? You have got to be kidding me. He has certainly paid the price for being a moron but he deserves everything he got and then some. That being said, he paid the price and he has a right to learn from it and become a better person. Good for him that he found another place to play ball.

How2fish

August 4th, 2010
1:23 pm

Good luck Zack..and folks he was NOT charged with a felony..if you have a problem with that I’d take it up with the local police not Zack..different conversation is he had been..all of the racists need to quietly sit down and STFU…please. dawggirl really tougher laws ?? In this state a boy or girl can be 2 months different in age and having consequently relations and the older one can be charged, convicted and have to wear the “sex offender” tag for life by all means lets ruin a few more folks lives for doing what I’m sure many of us have..I know I dated girls a year or two younger than me and a few more older.

Papadawg

August 4th, 2010
1:24 pm

I see Sooners or Longhorns in his future

Chickasaw

August 4th, 2010
1:25 pm

Anyone who thinks it’s “not a big deal” to “grab a woman’s breast”: try it with my daughter and you will be educated! If you’re lucky, you’ll only do time. I understand Zach M had a “straight arrow” rep before this incident, and maybe it was the alcohol, but TampaGator is absolutely right that this had to be have been plea bargained down. Inappropriate and uninvited touching is a “battery” and that can definitely be charged as a felony. I hope the kid takes advantage of this second chance, but another such screw up and he does belong on a registry. Coach Richt was right to dismiss the kid and I for one do not think he should be welcomed back to the SEC.

Bride of Chucky Knapp

August 4th, 2010
1:27 pm

I could care less what happens to this fallen dog. Would rather read stories about Damon.

Waiting to See

August 4th, 2010
1:30 pm

I’d like to see Mettenberger go in the first round of an upcomming NFL draft. Hell, I’d like to see him transfer to a major college program and beat Richt’s brains out in a televised BCS bowlgame. Richt should have suspended him for a year and then reinstated him if he guaranteed he’d walk a “straight line”. If not, then kick him off.

joe

August 4th, 2010
1:30 pm

Can someone tell me what “consequently” relations are??

How2fish

August 4th, 2010
1:31 pm

Chickasaw exactly how do you know it was pleaded down? If he was guilty of any degree of forcing himself on the girl no prosecutor in the state would have down graded the charges if they thought they had a winnable case..makes no sense. But yes if he does cross any lines again he deserves what he gets I hope that never happens.

The Ghost of Wally Butts

August 4th, 2010
1:31 pm

Obviously, he can’t sing. If could sing even one note, then he could make use of the way he treats women by becoming a hip-hop mogul.

How2fish

August 4th, 2010
1:32 pm

joe they are the type your not having…I hope. they come with consequences..

Scott W.

August 4th, 2010
1:33 pm

To all the 20+ year fans hawking your season tickets on craigslist. If you don’t want to go, don’t renew. Someone else will want you tickets. You are vultures.

Really, Rival Fans

August 4th, 2010
1:33 pm

The more you post the better we look. Three cheers for the morons!!!LOL!!!

Papadawg

August 4th, 2010
1:34 pm

Coach Richt is known to be easy on his players and giving them 2nd chances so I think we don’t know the whole story

Ben Dover

August 4th, 2010
1:34 pm

Wow, I’m surprised nobody called him a thug. Oh…I know why.

dawggirl

August 4th, 2010
1:42 pm

How2fish, those aren’t the type of laws I’m talking about.

SSIgator

August 4th, 2010
1:53 pm

“We did our research on Zach. We feel like he can be a great asset to our team”

Why? Is he going to be in charge of organizing to toga party?

Schooling you

August 4th, 2010
1:57 pm

He’s not a thug, he’s a cad. Raw violence, that’s thuggery.

dawgster

August 4th, 2010
1:58 pm

Does anybody hear really know exactly what happen, not just rumors…what we know is that he plead quilty to misdemeanor sexual battery and is paying dearly for it….Yea maybe his lawyers worked out a plea deal, i don’t know, but the dawgs have moved on and so has Zach..Again from what i know of him and his family he is not a bad kid, but obvisously he made a severe mistake and will probably always pay for it in some manner…Will he be given opportunities to change his behavior and put this behind him…yes he will..will another SEC school take him in the future..you can be assured if he lights it at Butler JUCO, he will be…Would the dawgs look at him again…I tnink they probably would not, but who knows…Another thing that gets overlooked in alot of situations such as this is that the young girl who was affected by this incident and how it will impact her life…I hope that she can put this behind her also…I know if it was my daughter i would probably not be so forgiving, but then i don’t know all of the facts or circumstances except what i have read and been told so i’m not going to completely throw Zach under the bus for good…I wish him and his family well along with the very best wishes for the young girl that this happened to….

Villa Rica DAWG

August 4th, 2010
1:58 pm

That’s great news! I hope that the young lady he accosted has forgiven him and that he can move on and have a successful future.

How2fish

August 4th, 2010
2:03 pm

dawggirl as a father of 2 young women let me assure you I’m for the death penalty in any forcible rape case. I do think we have gone overboard on who we deem sexual predators are in certain cases (I gave an example in the previous post ). Pedophiles and those that commit forcible rape or traffic in the kidnapping of young women or boys for the sex trade should all die, but that is just my opinion.

toole

August 4th, 2010
2:09 pm

Has anyone noticed that #5 has not been given to any UGA player this year. Who are we holding it for?

Fred

August 4th, 2010
2:11 pm

I see that what Zach did ranges from “nothing” to “he should be castrated” I wonder what the real story is…

SuperB

August 4th, 2010
2:21 pm

After juco, I hope Zach comes back to the Dawgs– a wiser young man.

ugaclassof2004

August 4th, 2010
2:25 pm

They can have that idiot. From what I heard, he isn’t all that good, regardless of how well he did in the glorified scrimmage that is G Day. Even if he did win the starting job, I have no doubt that his immaturity would have gotten him kicked of the team mid-season. Good riddance.

Mark Walberg

August 4th, 2010
2:27 pm

Hey Zach,

“Say hi to your mother for me.”

GeoffDawg

August 4th, 2010
2:30 pm

TampaGator – I’m not saying that he didn’t reach some kind of plea agreement with prosecutors but they call it “pleading” no matter what the scenario. I believe the initial charge was a misdemeanor though if I’m not mistaken.

DawginLex

August 4th, 2010
2:35 pm

gatorade2,

It’s funny how Murray is not an SEC QB according to you yet the facts are:

He narrowed his college choices down to Florida and Georgia and chose Georgia.

So your coach didn’t consider him an SEC QB yet he wanted to sign him?

Class dismissed.

Too Easy

August 4th, 2010
2:38 pm

I sure hope How2Fish just misspelled ‘consensual’ relations.

Bevo

August 4th, 2010
2:42 pm

Who the heck is Zach Mettenberger ? Is he another UGA DUI ?

Mark Walberg

August 4th, 2010
2:47 pm

BEVO,

I had you for dinner at longhorns last night. Texas will have 2 losses this year. Fact!

I-DOG

August 4th, 2010
3:04 pm

Good luck with your new team. My guess is that he continues his career elsewhere without incident and that he transfers to a top 20 type team next year.

I also think UGA did the right thing about parting ways with him although it certainly hurts the team quite a bit especially if Murray goes down or struggles. This was no 3rd string safety. I don’t know all the details, but what it sounds like what he alledgedly did was absolutely wrong and he paid a pretty hefty price for it (public embarassment and loss of scholarship). I think he deserves the chance to go somewhere else like this and hopefully make the most of this second chance.

[...] Kansas junior college welcomes former UGA QB Mettenberger. [...]

Silver lining

August 4th, 2010
3:09 pm

Well at least he can now work toward a degree that will actually be good for something other than toilet paper.

A

August 4th, 2010
3:39 pm

Well he was also originally charged with: underage consumption/possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possession of fake ID.

The two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery were charged after the girl actually decided to press charges- it was two counts because he grabbed her butt and boobs.

Milan Turner

August 4th, 2010
3:58 pm

Maybe Dexter Moody and Zach can get into some trouble out there! Goodness know they stayed in trouble here in the Peach State.